Pages

Sunday, December 16, 2012

With the year coming to an end,
it’s time to start looking forward to the cinematic bounty 2013 will bring.
Next year’s slate of movies has a lot of potential, so I’m hopeful that we get
to see some real gems. Here’s what I’m looking forward to the most:

1) Before Midnight

Two of my favorite movies of
all time are Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, which I like to think of
as an inseparable tandem (like the way a lot of people think of the first two Godfathers). I have supreme confidence
that director Richard Linklater and actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy can
craft a worthy addition to this ongoing love story. (Hopefully not the last
installment, though there have been intimations that it might be. :( )2) Upstream Color

It’s been 8 years since the
release of Primer, writer/director Shane
Carruth’s mind-bending, super-indie movie about time travel. Carruth has been
MIA ever since, until now. Upstream Color
is debuting at the Sundance Film Festival, which doesn’t bode well for a wide
theatrical release. But considering that Carruth is embracing the digital
distribution model (he is offering Primer
on his website, DRM-free, for $15), I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to buy or rent
it online in the spring. I’m eager to see if Carruth can deliver on the
potential he displayed with Primer and
emerge as one of the really talented American filmmakers working today.3) Gravity

It’s been 6 years since Alfonso
Cuarón’s last movie, the
well-regarded Children of Men. The
details of this movie have been kept largely under wraps, driving my curiosity
through the roof.4) To The Wonder

A new Terrence Malick film is
always cause for celebration. This one didn’t have a great reaction at the
Toronto Film Festival, the common complaint being that it was too Malicky. (Star Ben Affleck quipped: “To The Wonder is for people who like a
little Malick with their Malick.”) Sounds good to me.

5) Star Trek Into Darkness

I was such a big fan of the
2009 reboot, despite initial reservations. I found it ridiculously
entertaining, full of great characters that were perfectly cast, as well as it
being just a gorgeous-looking movie. I had my doubts about JJ Abrams, but this
movie made a believer out of me. I expect this one to be just as good if not
better than the first.

6) The Great Gatsby

One of my most anticipated
movies of 2012, pushed back to summer ’13. Baz Luhrmann is a master at what he
does, combining visual panache with epic storytelling while getting actors to
give surprisingly great performances. Moulin
Rouge is, of course, unimpeachable, but Australia
remains an underappreciated gem.

7) Iron Man 3

The Avengers sealed it: I could watch Downey do this character for a dozen more
movies. There’s a little bit of intrigue with the director’s chair belonging to
Shane Black this time around, but I’m sure the end result will be the super
entertaining movie we’ve come to expect from this franchise.8) Nymphomaniac

Lars von Trier usually has a
strong sexual component to his films, so it’ll be interesting to see what
happens when he makes sex the overriding (har) theme of his next movie. He’s on
something of a mid-to-late-career roll—his last two movies, Antichrist and Melancholia, are worthy additions to his filmography. We’ll
see if he can keep it up. (har har)

9) The Unknown Known

Errol Morris might be the most
consistently good filmmaker working today. He seems to hit a home run every
time out, regardless of subject matter. This one’s about Rumsfeld, but that’s
really beside the point. Just know that there’s a pretty good chance that it’ll
be a fantastic movie.

10) Pacific Rim

Liberated from Hobbit hell, Guillermo del Toro returns
with what seems to be a bombastic piece of film pop. Giant robots vs. giant monsters?
Yeah, I guess I’ll see that.DHS

About Me

So I'm officially an author. My book is called Deadly Reflections, and is available on the Kindle Store right this second. I encourage anyone who likes a good love story with paranormal aspects to check it out!